Monster of North Woods
by Aubrie1234
Summary: Joe goes missing and soon another case arises: Deer turn up dead and drained of blood in the Bayport Woods, with the only injury being short cuts on their necks. Following his instincts that the cases are connected, Frank investigates the woods to find his brother. Can he find Joe, or is he already too late?
1. Chapter 1

Monster of North Woods

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

"Sure you'll be fine going to Callie's?" Joe asked his brother, "Remember, we just got off a case-"

"I know, but I'm not as helpless as I look." Frank said. Both brothers were home alone after a hard kidnapping/extortion case, with Aunt Trudy out shopping; their father, Fenton, out of town on another case; and their mother, Laura, visiting friends. Joe was worried that they might be vulnerable after such a case, but Frank was more confident.

"What's the chance of something happening right after we got back home?" Joe had to agree, but it was possible. Frank assured his brother that he would be fine before leaving on foot, as Callie's house was not far. The blond, seeing as he had nothing else to do, decided to watch the news. During a particularly boring bit, he fell asleep.

* * *

"You know, Callie, I should be getting home soon. Joe was worried enough as it is." Frank told his girlfriend. It had been over an hour or two since Frank had left the Hardy home, and the boy had expected his brother to call and check on him. However, the phone hadn't rung since he had gotten there.

"Does it have something to do with your previous case?" she asked. Frank nodded.

"Yeah. See, we were dealing with a animal biologist who wanted money for continuing his research. So, he had this girl, about our age and a politician's daughter, kidnapped and asked for an extortion ransom."

"What's an extortion ransom?" Frank smiled.

"Joe came up with the name, since we've seen nothing like it before. The biologist kept giving demands for money by pigeon. After getting the money, he would change locations and use a different pigeon. However, the girl was in a different place the entire time, and she also kept changing as he did, just as different time, usually a day or two after the biologist changed."

"How'd you solve it?" Frank sighed.

"It was just a stroke of luck, really." he explained, "I had been searching a warehouse district when I came across this warehouse and heard these men talking inside about the case, mentioning that they had the girl. I managed to call Joe and tell him where I was before the men found me. They then trussed me up and put me with the girl, which was in a secret basement of the warehouse."

"How did he find you?"

"He said he had managed to find and arrest the biologist before I called, so he got some of the police force to help storm the warehouse. At hearing their boss was captured, the men squealed about everything." They stood up from the couch.

"Well, thanks for telling me. No wonder Joe's worried about you." She glanced at her cable phone, "If he was so worried, wouldn't he have at least called?"

"That's what's got me worried." Frank started for the door, but Callie joined him.

"Let's go together. Safety in numbers." Frank nodded and they took Callie's car to the Hardy house. They saw immediately that there were no other cars in the driveway, indicating Joe was still home alone. Trying the front door, however, the brunette found it unlocked. Alarmed, he threw opened the door. Normal greeted him, but onto reaching the living room, it seemed as a scuffle had happened. The coffee table was overturned and the TV was still on, and there was a clothing lying in the floor behind the couch. Taking a quick sniff, Frank grimaced.

"Chloroform." Frank told Callie, who had followed behind, "The lock on the front door was probably picked and they knocked out Joe before taking him. The alarm was probably tampered with as well. Joe was right. It was his gut instinct, I bet. Why didn't I believe him, or at least stay with him a little longer?" Callie put a hand on his shoulder.

"You can't change what happened. All we can do now is look for him, after calling the police." Frank nodded regretfully and went to the phone.

* * *

 _I am the worst older brother in the world. I shouldn't have left him alone!_ Frank thought as he searched through his father's files, hoping to find a clue to who might have taken Joe, with the radio blaring news beside him. Callie had gone home and the police had come, but there were no fingerprints, nor evidence except for the chloroform-filled cloth. They had found scratches on the doorknob and the alarm wires cut, proving Frank's theory, and there was a bulletin out for Joe, but Frank knew that it may take longer than a few days to find him. The people were professionals, having worn gloves to leave no fingerprints and leaving as little evidence as possible. Suddenly, the radio's newscaster brought forth new information.

"We have just learned that Simon Mathews, an animal biologist arrested yesterday, escaped from his jail cell a little over three hours ago." This gave Frank a start, as that was the man the brothers had captured on their latest case, "The bulletin was delayed, as the police did not want to alarm the public, having thought he had not gone far. However, with no sign of him, they now ask you to please be cautious, as he has charges for kidnapping and extortion." The newscaster then relayed what Mathews looked like and such, but Frank did not pay attention.

 _How did he escape so fast? He hasn't been in jail for 24 hours and he's already escaped! Is there more to him than we think?_ Frank, going along the lines of his thoughts, started to search for Mathews' file when he heard a car pull into the driveway. Looking out, he saw his aunt's car in the drive, Trudy stepping out of it before getting groceries. Frank debated whether to tell her the truth or not, as he did not want to worry her, but he saw that he may not have had a choice. If Joe stayed missing for much longer, Trudy would pester him until she knew, and then would worry herself, and consequently Laura, to death. Deciding, Frank left the room and went downstairs to help.

"Hi, Aunt Trudy! Need some help?" As Frank wasn't usually this cheerful, Trudy was suspicious.

"Did something happen, Frank?" she asked, "You're not usually this cheerful."

"Well, something _did_ happen-"

"Tell me what it is right now, Frank Hardy!" Frank sighed.

"I don't want to worry you, but Joe's been kidnapped."

* * *

A week after having to break the news to his mother and aunt, Frank and his friends were still looking. He had tried contacting his father, but with no success, he had decided to look for his brother with his friends, despite the police doing all they could. It was during a break that a strange case came to the Hardy home.

"Don't stay so down, Frank!" Chet tried to cheer his friend, "I'm sure we'll find him soon!" The entire search group, consisting of Frank, Chet, Callie, Phil, Biff, and Tony, was sitting at the Hardy kitchen table, having lunch and taking a small break from their search. Trudy and Laura, though worried, were out doing their own things, leaving the teens alone.

"The longer he stays gone, the more likely he won't be found." Frank said, head in his hands, "I just wish there was some clue we could go on. No witnesses, no evidence..." He sighed and Callie laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Chet's right, though. We can't give up on him." Callie said. Just then, there was a knock at the front door. Tony got up to answer it, and in a little over a minute, came back with a large, burly man.

"He says he's got a case for you, Frank." Tony sounded surprised as Frank got up to address the man.

"I'm Frank Hardy." he shook the man's hand, "Who are you?"

"Daryl Lloyd." the man said simply, "And I've got a big case that needs to be solved." Frank allowed him to take his seat at the table and assured him that his friends would be able to help before Daryl began.

"I'm a hunter, and it's buck season in the North Woods." Daryl explained, "Two days ago, a friend of mine and I were out hunting when we came across a buck carcass. But, that's not the weird part. The weird part was, when we examined it, it looked like it was just killed and there was only a small cut on its neck. There was also no blood."

"If the cut was covered, there wouldn't be any blood, but I don't understand how it could just die that way." Biff said. However, the hunter shook his head.

"That's not what I meant. There was no blood around it or _inside_ it, like it was drained." This surprised the group, "We found two other bucks the same day, dead in the same way as well. And, when we went out yesterday, there were even more out there, and some of the other hunters we met said they had the same experience."

"Sounds like something straight out of fiction!" Phil commented.

"More like vampire fiction." Chet said, "But, we've already got something we're working on-"

"Hmm..." Frank interrupted Chet before nodding, "Alright, we'll take it." This surprised the rest of his group.

"But what about-?" Callie let the question hang.

"I'll explain later." he whispered to her before guiding their guest out of the house. When he came back, he returned to his chair.

"Somehow, I can't explain it, but I just got this feeling that Lloyd's case was connected with ours." he explained, "Maybe we can find some clues to Joe's whereabouts in the woods while we solve Lloyd's case."

"Usually Joe's the one with the gut feelings, but I think you're right, Frank." Tony nodded, "We haven't even looked in the woods yet to see if Joe was taken there."

"Then let's go." Frank stood, and the tone in his voice left no room for argument.

* * *

"Callie, you and Biff check the West side. Phil, you and Tony check the East. Chet, you're with me in going through the middle." Frank gave these orders as they exited their cars on the edge of the North Woods. Some of them were also carrying backpacks and flashlights.

"What about wolves?" Callie asked.

"Do whatever you need to. We need to find out if anything is going on around here dealing with Lloyd's case, especially if it connects to Joe."

"And if it doesn't?" Biff asked, making Frank hesitate.

"Then we keep looking." he finished, "Joe's a strong little brother, and he doesn't go down easily. I know he's still alive, somehow, and I'm going to keep searching until I find him if it's the last thing I ever do." The others glanced at Frank. The teen wasn't usually this harsh or determined unless it came to protecting his brother, and they knew that well.

 _Hopefully, we'll find Joe before Frank gets worse._ Phil thought before they began searching the woods.

* * *

"See anything?"

"Just bushes and trees." The flashlight beams played over the brush like spotlights. The trees blocked the sunlight, making it harder to see, which is why the lights were used.

"You know, Frank," Chet said as they walked on, "I wasn't sure if we would find anything, so I brought this." He showed the dark-haired boy a whistle.

"It's a dog whistle." Frank stated, "You think that if you blow on it, it might bring out whatever creature has been attacking the bucks?" Chet nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm kind of afraid to use it. What if what we're dealing with isn't what we think they are, like a giant bear or a ferocious wolf?"

"You could certainly bring out one of those things with that whistle." Frank admitted, "Here, let me hang on to it, just in case we _do_ need to use it." As Chet handed over the whistle, Frank continued, "If something does come after us because of the whistle, I would like it better if it was me instead of you, since I don't want you getting hurt."

"What if it goes after both of us?"

"Just hope it doesn't." The two continued to walk on in silence until they found something interesting. Chet's light caught on something shiny at the base of a tree and, bending down to inspect it, the boy gasped.

"A bear trap!" he said. Frank's eyes narrowed.

"Someone's in these woods, and is after something." he said.

"What if it's just one of the hunters?" Chet asked.

"I doubt it. We've walked quite a ways and hunters usually don't use these kind of traps if they're hunting deer. And you can't hunt bears unless you're on some sort of special hunt."

"But why is it up against the tree like this? Shouldn't it be in the middle of the trail, covered in grass and stuff?"

"Yes, to make it more effective, unless..." Frank's pause made Chet worry.

"'Unless' what?"

"Unless you want to catch something large that can climb up and down a tree, like a person or a monkey."

"There's more to this case than we think, isn't there?" Chet asked sadly. Frank nodded.

"Afraid so. Let's mark our place here, so we can return later, and head back." Taking a stone from the ground, Chet scratched the initials FH and CM into the tree where the trap was, and the boys then started their way back. However, they didn't notice they were being watched.

* * *

"Find anything?" Tony asked when they met up.

"We found a bear trap and headed right back." Frank said, "You?"

"More bear traps. We found two, right beside some trees." Phil said.

"We found something else." Biff said, swinging his backpack off his shoulders. He then reached inside and took out a metal net, which was broken in places, "This was on the ground, and the whole area was trashed, like there was a fight."

"But what I don't understand is this." Callie pointed to some of the breaks, "Metal nets like this one don't break unless they're cut, and this one isn't cut. Something managed to pull the net apart."

"There's definitely something going on here." Frank said, "Could you show us where you found the net?" Callie and Biff nodded as the boy returned the net to the backpack, swinging it back on his shoulders. They then led the group back into the woods and to the place where they had found the net.

When Biff had said the place was a mess, he hadn't been kidding. The ground was scuffed and scratched badly with various marks and trees had slash marks on them, along with broken branches. Frank crouched to examine the area and noticed right away that the marks in the ground weren't made by shoes. They were made by claws, and large ones at that. Spotting something, Frank leaned down to grab something from a slash, which turned out to be some sort of leathery cloth.

"What's that?" Chet asked.

"I don't know, but it could be a clue. Think you could search for it on the Internet, Phil?"

"Probably." the boy nodded, glancing around, "But, aren't you guys feeling like something's wrong?"

"I know what you mean." Tony said, looking around himself, "I feel like someone's watching us."

"Maybe we should-" Callie said as Frank stood, but was interrupted by a frightening sound. It sounded like a scream, but at a higher, louder pitch, and more animalistic. Scared, everyone covered their ears and took off.

* * *

"Did...did we...lose it?" Chet panted, leaning on his legs. After running for quite a while, the group finally stopped, finding that the strange scream was gone.

"I think so." Biff said. Glancing around, he found Callie peering at something in the distance.

"See something, Callie?" he asked.

"I'm not really sure. I can see something, like a building, but I'm not sure."

"Here, let me come with you." Frank offered, "You guys don't mind if we go alone, do you?" Glancing at each other, the teens smiled.

"Naw, but call us if you need us." Frank and Callie nodded before walking away.

* * *

"Did you really see a building?" Frank asked his girlfriend. She nodded.

"I'm pretty sure." she said, "But it looked like it was camouflaged."

"This is looking more and more like someone's trying to catch something and hide it, as we haven't even heard anything about this."

"Do you think the hunters knew about this?"

"Maybe. They would have stumbled upon the bear traps as well, if they weren't the ones who-" Both of them stopped as they found the building Callie had spotted. It was colored with camouflage paint and foliage, as Callie had said, but the windows were shattered and the door knocked off its hinges, despite looking new. Frank's eyes narrowed.

"Callie, get the others." he ordered, "I need to investigate this." Callie hesitated, but ran off. Frank watched her leave, then walked to the doorway, placing his hands on the sides of the entrance.

 _Please be here, little brother._ Frank took a deep breath, sighed, and then stepped inside.

* * *

 _ **Let me begin with saying that this will not be a regular story. If you think you know what's going on, then say it. I won't confirm anything, as I don't want to spoil the story. But, honestly, what do you think is happening and what is going to happen? Read and Review, readers!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Monster of North Woods

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

 **VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED. Seriously! This chapter makes me wonder if I should change this story to Mature...**

 **Anyway, you should be AT LEAST 13 or older to read this part, I think.**

* * *

Frank froze, taking a sharp breath at what he saw. The place was trashed; chairs and tables were overturned or destroyed, and doors were damaged, knocked off their hinges, or both; the lights flickered, as if they had been on for days and were running out of power. On the wall was a gruesome warning, chilling him down to his bones, he was sure. It was etched into the wall and said:

TRY TO TAKE ME, I DARE YOU.

IF YOU TRY, I WILL KILL YOU, OR I WILL DIE TRYING.

NO ONE WILL TAKE ME ALIVE, I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT.

Frank shivered at the words before venturing farther into the building, noting the claw and punch marks on the walls, floor, and even ceiling. Briefly, the brunette wondered if it was an animal, before he saw what was in the next room. If he had been holding anything, he would have surely dropped it as he turned his head away, now wishing he hadn't come in the first place.

Someone had obviously been either very angry, insane, or both, with the death they left behind. There were three bodies of men in the room, Frank guessed, as they had been mangled a bit. Wishing he wasn't so curious, Frank slowly walked closer to examine their faces.

One he instantly recognized as Mathews, who had escaped barely a week ago, and the man was the worst damaged out of the three. Whatever had been in here had made short work of Mathews, cutting his chest open and ripping out several organs, and Frank felt sympathy for the man.

"No one should have to die like this..." Frank whispered, turning away to examine the other two men. He didn't recognize either of them, and they weren't as mangled as Mathews. One seemed to have had his face clawed at and five holes in his chest, like he had tusseled with something at close range. The other had his arms ripped off, and Frank swallowed the bile rising in his throat. The strangest thing about the scene, however, was that there was no blood. Not a drop, as far as Frank could see. But he knew that the only way the third man would have died, if only his arms had been ripped off, was if he had bled to death. So, where was the blood?

Frank tried to refrain from looking at the bodies or thinking about them as he went to pick up some papers scattered on the floor. Each had a date in their upper right corners, and there were quite a lot for only 5 days. Some had a few mathmatical problems, including some sort of formula, but most were notes. The brunette unconsciously began to read one as he picked it up. It was one of the latest ones, based on the date, and he recognized the handwriting as Mathew's from seeing a letter he had penned while in captivity. However, it was shaky, as if from nerves.

 _'The bars didn't hold. I told Marshal to reinforce them as the beast got angrier, but now it's too late. He's coming after us, and Marshal and Trevor are trying to hold him at bay, but it won't work. He's out of control, and he won't stop until he gets his revenge. At least something good came out of this. He won't remember anything about-'_ It stopped abruptly, as the next letter was dragged down, past the edge of the page, in a single line.

"This beast thing must have gotten him before he could finish." Frank said to himself quietly, "But what does any of this mean?" Gathering up the rest of the notes and trying to avoid looking at the floor, Frank walked out, back the way he had come. As he walked down the hall, he wondered if the beast mention had written that warning note on the wall.

 _Is it also the one drinking the blood of the deer in the forest?_ Frank wondered, also noting the absence of blood around the bodies. He fingered the dog whistle in his pocket and contemplated if it was such a good idea to use the item now. Arriving in the other room, Frank stopped in surprise as he saw a new message on the wall opposite him. He guessed it was new, as he had seen the wall when he had first entered, and it was fine, save for some punches. It now read:

IF YOU'RE IN LEAGUE WITH THOSE MEN, GO AWAY.

IF NOT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WITH WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH.

"I already guessed that..." Frank muttered, but could feel the fear inside him. Something had watched him come in and had wrote the warning. Slowly, things were clicking into place from what he knew: One, a blood-drinking beast escaped this facility, killing all who were here. Second, it could be very likely the one attacking the bucks. Third, it may have also been the one who screamed at them. Fourth, it was obviously very smart, having followed him without being known and writing these messages. Fifth, it seemed to hate Mathews and his men. But, just who were Marshal and Trevor? They were probably the other two dead men, but still...

Frank shook his head, settling on reading the papers once he and his friends were safely out of the North Woods. Things were spooking him, and not in a good way.

* * *

Callie had gotten the others and they waited for Frank right outside the door. However, when he had not shown up, they had grown worried and were about to go after him when the eldest Hardy exited the entrance, holding the papers tightly to his chest and looking very pale.

"Whoa, big guy!" Biff put an arm around Frank, as he looked about to faint, "You look you've seen a ghost." Frank took a shaky breath.

"Something like that, yeah. But, you won't believe what I found." Frank showed them the papers, "I haven't really read them, except for the last one. They were written by Simon Mathews, a man Joe and I dealt with on our last case. He escaped jail the same day Joe went missing, and he was involved with this." Frank flipped through the notes to the one he had read, just to make sure, "Yes, here it is. I think that the creature it mentions is the same one drinking the deer's blood and who screamed at us." He handed the paper over to Phil, who read it aloud. Afterwords, everyone had shivers.

"Just what kind of case have we gotten ourselves into?" Chet said as Phil handed back the paper.

"I don't know, but for once, I'm glad to be getting out of this place." Frank gave a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes, "Now, let's get back to Bayport and take a look at the rest of these papers."

* * *

Nothing happened on the way to the Hardy home, and upon arriving, they found that Mr. Hardy had returned. Mrs. Hardy and Aunt Trudy were still out, so the kids had to explain the last week to him. Fenton was greatly concerned for Joe, of course, and wanted to examine the papers, but what worried him the most was the haunted look in Frank's eyes.

"Kids," Fenton put an arm around Frank's shoulders, "Could you look at the papers while I talk to Frank? There's something private I want to ask him."

"Sure, Mr. Hardy." Tony said and took the papers from Frank. The kids moved into the living room while Fenton and Frank climbed the stairs to Mr. Hardy's study.

"What's wrong, Frank?" Fenton asked, "You look pale, and I've seen that look in your eyes with death investigators and other detectives."

"I saw something in that place that really scared me, Dad." Frank said, "Something I don't want to share with the others, because it would worry them."

"What did you see?" Frank shivered as he recalled what he saw.

"You need to see it for yourself to understand." Fenton put an arm around his eldest son.

"I think I'll understand, you only need to tell me." Frank took a deep breath.

"Mathews is dead. I saw him and two of his men, on the floor, ravaged by something. I read his last note, which is with the other papers, and it mentioned a beast. I think it's talking about the same animal my case is about. But, that thing isn't any regular beast; it's smart, because it carved messages into the metal walls, two warnings. The second, I'm sure, was made after I entered the building. I didn't see it before I went in there, so I think that thing was watching us." Fenton's grip on his son tightened.

"Frank..."

"Dad, I'm not sure what we should do about this case." Frank interrupted, "My brother is missing and this case is already getting dangerous; I'm not sure what to do except go with it, because I get the feeling that Joe is involved with it, too."

"...I'll have Collig personally investigate the building you mentioned, and go with your instincts." Fenton gave Frank a small hug, "If you need me, I'll be here; I'm not taking another case until I know both my sons are safe." Frank gave a small smile and hugged back.

"Thanks, Dad." They quietly sat together and prepared to return to the others when they heard someone running up the steps. Opening the door, Frank found Biff there.

"C'mon! You won't believe what we found!" Frank and Fenton followed him down and entered the living room, seeing the papers scattered about on the coffee table.

"Take a look!" Callie handed them the paper she had been holding, "It's only once, but it mentions you." Instantly the two Hardys began to read over the paper. It was dated four days ago, at noon, in Mathews' handwriting.

 _'Training has been going well, and I cannot wait to see the shock and fear on Frank Hardy's face, along with those of his family! Though, I am worried about the beast's accommodations. If he continues to get angrier, he could easily bend the bars and get out. With his great anger at us, I wouldn't be surprised who his first human targets would be. I must tell Marshal to upgrade the bars, preferably with electricity. It may be one of the very few things that scares the beast, but it works; and, hopefully, it will keep us from getting killed.'_ Frank was tempted to give a grim snort, but held it in.

"Hm..." Fenton's eyes scanned over the paper, "Why does Mathews specifically mention us with the beast? Could it have a connection to Joe?"

"Well, take a look at this one. It's the first one the guy wrote, we think." Tony handed them another paper. It was dated a week ago, the same day Joe was kidnapped, and at about the same time Frank left the house.

 _'The Camters (such a stupid name, I have told them) are funding my experiments, the ones I wasn't able to do when Frank Hardy and his brother interfered. In return, I have agreed to help them with their (questionable) motives. It gives me hope that I will be able to get revenge on the Hardys, especially Frank, in some way. However, to make sure everything goes according to plan, the Camters have sent two members to help with the training of the...beast, I should say. If all goes well and they do not get in the way, the plan should be complete in two weeks, maybe less.'_ Frank handed the paper to his father as he searched for the paper with the mathmatical formula, thinking about Mathews. He also took a seat on the couch and grabbed a pencil.

Being an animal biologist, Mathews worked a lot with animals and knew, quite well, how to deal with one, whether nice or unruly. He also seemed to have a fondness for needles, and these things together weren't adding up well to Frank. Finally finding the sheet, he looked at the formula before doing some calculations on the blank backside. Seeing he needed quiet, the others made no sound as he worked. Once finished, the boy slammed both hands on the table, startling them.

"Phil, research that leather piece we found." he ordered, where the boy instantly began to type on his laptop, "If I'm right, then we're in something deeper and more fictional than we could have imagined." he then turned to his father, "What was your last case, Dad?"

"Infiltration of the government by a secret organization. It's objective was to take control of the Military and, more specifically, their weapons. I managed to catch the culprits, though. Why?" Fenton had heard the indifferent, cold tone in Frank's voice, which was almost never heard, but it also had an underlying tone of worry. The last time Frank had ever used that tone was two years ago, with the car bomb and Iola's death, and any mention of the event since.

"I think your case might be related to mine." he gestured to the formula, "It's a complicated message, but I managed to figure it out. The formula, of course, also has another meaning entirely, which I'm not ready to tell until we learn what that leather piece is."

"What does it say?" Chet asked, "The message, I mean."

"World Domination by Super Soldier." he translated solemnly, shocking them. He then turned to Phil, "Anything?"

"Y-yeah, this." he swung the laptop around to face Frank, "It look like a piece of skin from bat wings, but way too big. Bats couldn't fly if they lost such a big piece from a wing, and it looks most like a vampire bat's." Frank gave a frustrated sigh.

"Just what I was afraid of." his hand grasped the paper, wrinkling and crumpling it, "The formula is a formula to create a vampire bat serum, like trying to make an actual vampire. Now I understand what that message meant by not knowing what we were dealing with."

* * *

 _ **Finished the second chapter, and please give me your opinions on what you think is going on. Also, read, review, and tell me is I should change this to Mature, because I'm still not sure...**_


	3. Chapter 3

Monster of North Woods

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Fenton?"

"The kids are scared, and Frank's worrying beyond belief, not to mention myself, Laura, and Gertrude. Besides, I want to see what he described for myself. You said so on the phone, Ezra, that this needs to be investigated, especially if it's connected to Joe's whereabouts."

"Is there more to this than that, though?"

"...Yes, but I'm not sure I can tell you. At least, not yet." That night, as soon as the kids were sent home and asleep, Fenton had asked Collig, Radley, and Riley to meet up with him at the edge of the North Woods.

"Alright." Sam flicked on a flashlight, as did the others, "Now, let's get going." The men vetured into the woods, on alert for anything suspicious. It didn't take long before something happened.

"What's that?" Con's light fell on a large, brown mass blocking the trail. Upon making a closer look, they determined it was another buck, dead in the same way Lloyd described, per the kids' story.

"The kids never encountered a dead deer when they entered the woods earlier." Fenton said, "But the hunters did."

"And it's fresh, must have been killed an hour or so ago." Collig said, "Do you think this might be a warning?"

"From that beast?" Sam asked.

"Frank said it was smart, and this proves it. Be on edge, everyone." The other men nodded and stepped over the carcass, continuing their way. Doing so, they encountered two other carcasses. This made them even more on edge, glancing around as they walked on. However, like the kids before, they did not notice they were being watched.

* * *

Silently, from the tree above, bright red eyes gazed down at them. They did not glow in the darkness, and yet the creature could see fine in both nighttime and daytime. It was slightly over 6 ft, human-like and muscled, covered in soft fur, which was thicker around its head and neck, trailing slightly down to its chest, all in different shades of blond. Large, bat-like ears sprouted from its head, tilting and twitching with every sound, and sharp nails from both hands and feet gripped the trunk of the tree the creature held on to. Sharp fangs protruded from under its lips, and its most distinguishing features were plain to see: Long folds of skin swept down from its arms, starting at the wrist, and ended when they connected to its chest; however, a small piece was missing from near the bottom of the skin, near where it connected to the creature's chest to the left. Every few inches or so, there was a thin stick of cartilage to help keep the folds steady, like wings, and they were filled with very tiny bones to help keep them stiff when need be. The other feature was the fact that, though it obviously wore no shirt, it wore ripped jeans, dirtied by mud and grass.

It watched the men weave out of sight before silently moving out onto a branch. It focused on a tree in the distance, ahead of the men, before jumping off the branch and spreading its arms. The wind caught the folds of skin and allowed the creature to glide silently, similar to an owl. Reaching its destination, it grabbed hold of the trunk and looked back at the men, curious and angry.

It had killed the deer and drained their blood before dropping the carcasses on the men's trail as a warning. All of them seemed, in a way, familiar, but the creature wasn't about to let that keep it from scaring them away. It hated men from its first days, trying to bend its will to their own. Well, the creature certainly took care of that problem, once they got it angry enough. When it had seen the hunters, it could tell they were bad men, and tried scaring them away with the deer trick. However, they seemed delighted in the prospect of having free deer bodies to find, which irritated the creature to no end.

It was when the kids had arrived that things had changed. They all had familiar scents, especially one black-haired boy in particular. It confused the creature how the boy could smell so familiar and yet have a strange scent on him that reminded the creature of its own; the creature also smelled the same type of scent on one of the men. Because of this, the creature decided to watch the kids and not try the failed deer trick. They found the traps that the hunters had set out and the net that had nearly caught him, also tearing out the piece of skin. They were too curious for their own good, so the creature decided to try a different tactic to scare them away: scream at them. It worked to some extent, until they stumbled upon the facility where the creature had previously been held. The boy had went inside and the creature followed, where the creature gave him a warning. Before leaving, however, it gazed at the first warning it left behind. The boy hadn't ignored it, but he still pressed on. That was another thing that interested the creature; the boy's curiosity was stronger than it had thought, or the boy was stupid. It then left and watched the kids as they left the woods.

Then, that night, the men arrived. They carried lights, like the kids, and were heading towards the facility. The creature hadn't done anything to the kids, as they were kids. However, it absolutely hated men after its experiences, so it was now trying to scare these men away. It did not want to go back to killing humans, as their blood didn't taste good, and it disliked killing them, despite its joy at killing the first three humans. The deer trick did not seem to work on them the way it should have, but it did make them more cautious; the creature could smell the caution and slight fear. They also seemed to have no ill intent, but the creature was not about to let them go free without showing them why it _owned_ the forest.

It was then they ventured upon the facility looking at it on all sides before going in. The creature took this as its chance. Picking up the downed door, it slammed it into place before lifting a small log to brackets on either side of the door. The first men had done this in case the creature ever got out of control and they needed to keep it in somehow. Now, it was the perfect tool to keep those new men in, until they figured out that the door could easily still fall inside and they could escape that way. Then, the creature leapt to the roof and sat down to watch, a grin spreading across its face, showing its many sharp teeth.

* * *

The four whirled to face the sound, finding the giant door, which had previously been on the ground, now blocking the doorway. Sam and Con pushed against the door, but it held resistance. Sam looked out a small vertical window in it and sighed.

"There's a log on those brackets we saw earlier. That beast must have followed us!"

"And it must be plenty strong to move a 1-ton door that easily." Collig said.

"How are we supposed to get out?" Con asked.

"Maybe if we pull it inward..." Fenton, along with the others, tugged on the doorway, where it fell inside easily, almost crushing them in the process.

"Do you think it knew that we would be able to get out?"

"If it could tail us without us knowing and write messages on the walls, then it probably knew."

"Con, Sam, how about both of you stay here, in case that beast tries getting in?" Collig said, "Fenton, we can investigate what Frank described, now that we can get out." Mr. Hardy nodded and led the way, based on what his son had said.

* * *

To the creature, it was a cat-and-mouse game. It liked how they managed to find a way out so easily, but didn't actually escape until a few minutes later. Either they had waited, in case the creature was still around, or they had searched the place. It certainly looked like it was the later, as they were much too tense for them to have only been cautious once again. The creature watched them until they left, before it took a route into the heart of the woods. There, an abandoned cabin stood. One room, with only a bed, it was the perfect place for the creature to stay and sleep when it had nothing else to do.

The lock to the door was broken, so the creature only had to push on the door to open it. It opened with a creak, and the creature stepped in. It took a quick look around as it closed the door back. Everything seemed to be in place as it was before: The rags of a blanket lay on the ancient bed, along with a brick-like pillow. The floor creaked at every step it took, and the windowpane was still cracked. There were so signs of anyone having been here at all, not even in the dust on the floor, which hadn't been disturbed in the slightest, despite the creature making its home there. Satisfied, the creature swung up to the rafters with the skill of a gymnast, especially to a particular one in the center of the cabin. The creature then swung back down, its legs now hooked on the rafter, and wrapped its arms around itself before going to sleep. Now, if anyone had looked into the cabin, it would seem like a giant bat was sleeping in there. However, as no one would know about the cabin unless they stumbled upon it, the creature was sure it was safe for the time being.

* * *

Frank hadn't been able to sleep after the discovery earlier that day. The lights of his room were off, and he just looked at the ceiling, until he heard his father leave. Secretly, Frank followed him to the woods and watched as the creature tried to scare them off. Despite knowing that his father would worry if he wasn't home the next morning, Frank decided to stay behind and follow the creature to its lair. The creature may have been good at being silent and tailing others, but it seemed Frank was better. The creature never even noticed as the boy followed, stopping just out of sight of the cabin as the creature went inside.

 _So this is where it lives, huh?_ Frank thought, _And I'm the only one that knows what it looks like. I was right, though. That thing, whatever it is, is part bat._ Slowly and carefully, the young Hardy ventured closer, until he was right at the window. Lifting his head, he looked inside to see the shadow of the creature, completely asleep. Frank, now knowing what the creature was, where it stayed, and that it was asleep, slowly began to back away.

It was here that the mistake was made. The hunters, not knowing that the creature had stayed there, made a foot trap right near the window, to the left. Frank had looked in on it from the right and was now heading towards the left. His foot caught in the concealed trap and he stumbled forward, snaping a few twigs when he landed He froze, afraid of what was to happen next, ignoring the now throbbing ankle he had. All was silent, until he heard the door creak open. Quickly, he tried to get to his feet, but the throbbing ankle he had became worse when it moved. The elder Hardy held his ankle with a small hiss of pain before looking up into the red eyes of the beast.

It glowered angrily at him, showing its teeth in a snarl, and growled in a menacing way. It was only a few feet from him and made no move to advance, seeming like it wanted him to move first. However, Frank couldn't walk with his ankle, which was was sure he had twisted now. So, despite his logical thoughts that this thing wasn't going to let him live, he tried talking to it.

"I'm sorry." he began quietly, "I didn't mean to wake you. I know I have no business here, but I just couldn't sleep. I had a lot of things on my mind, and I followed my father, one of the men from earlier tonight, out here." The creature tilted its head back slightly, seeming like it wanted him to go on, "After they left, I followed you out here." Frank sighed, "It wasn't supposed to be like this, you know? A week ago, my brother and I were happy at home after a case, and then he went missing, now it's a week later, and I still have no idea where he is!" His voice nearly broke on the last words, and Frank realized how close he was to crying. Of course, he and his brother worried over each other whenever they were apart or got kidnapped, but they had never been apart this long, and the effects were wearing him down.

* * *

Something seemed to stir within the creature as it gazed at the boy, hearing his story. As it heard the story, slowly, all its defenses went down. It felt like the creature had heard the story before, almost. Besides, he knew the boy was injured and didn't want to kill any humans. So, surprising the boy, the creature gently walked over and sat beside him, wrapping its arms around him in a reassuring hug.

* * *

Frank wasn't sure why the creature was doing this to him, but it felt...right. Like his brother was with him again, almost. So, Frank accepted the hug, and the two sat together quietly.

"Thank you." Frank said at last, pulling away, "You know, you're not so bad after all." The creature smiled before picking him up, bridal style, and bringing him into the cabin. Using its foot to shut the door, it sat Frank on the bed and held up a finger, signaling the boy to wait.

* * *

The cabin, unknown to most, had a loose floorboard with a secret compartment underneath. In it was a first-aid kit the creature had swiped from the hunters not long ago. The beast pulled up the board and grabbed the kit, handing it to the boy as it lower the board again.

"Thanks." the boy said again, opening the kit and getting what he need for his foot, "And now that I think about it, it was probably a good thing I stepped in that trap before you did, or our roles may be switched." The creature nodded, knowing the boy was right.

"But," the boy continued, "why are these traps all over the place? Are those hunters trying to catch you?" Face warping into a snarl again, the creature nodded, "Why? Why do they want you?" Honestly, the beast had no idea, except that they were bad men. So, as best it could, it tried to tell the boy its thoughts.

* * *

If he had expected the creature to start making strange movements, then he wouldn't have stared as it did so. First, it held up two fingers, for two words. Then it made a scary face before pointing at him. Frank seemed to get the message.

"Bad men?" he voiced, and the creature nodded, "Yeah, I know. There are plenty of bad men all over the place. However, those hunters came to me and my friends to investigate about you, and look what we've found: you, that evil building, and now we know those hunters are after you. And, somehow, I know this all times in with my brother." During all of this, Frank had bandaged his foot and was now lying back on the bed, despite the hardness of it and the pillow.

* * *

The creature wasn't sure why the word 'brother' had such significance, but it seemed to have a big meaning behind it when the boy said it in the way he did. Besides, the boy hadn't wanted any of this, only doing it because he was looking for his missing brother and the hunters may have used his feelings against him. The creature then got an idea. It pointed to itself, then made a motion of urging the boy to him, before spelling 'to' in the air, and finally pointing back at the boy.

"You...want to help me?" The creature nodded, and the boy smiled.

"Again, thank you for all that you've done. I'm Frank, by the way. Do you have a name?" Yes, but it was more of a number than a name, so the creature shook its head. Frank closed his eyes and seemed to think before opening them again.

"How about Rex? It means king in Latin, and you're certainly king of the forest." The creature liked that, so it nodded. Rex... Sounded fitting.

* * *

Frank could see how much the Rex liked the name, so he went on.

"So, is it alright if I stay with you until morning? Since I can't get up and all..." Rex nodded before swinging back up into the rafters, back to the place it was before. In seconds, it was out like a light. Frank watched, putting the kit beside the bed, and wondered, if only for a second, if he was closer to Joe than he thought.

 _What if Rex_ is _Joe? No, there's no way it could be. It's just be too good to be true._ Frank thought, _And yet...It must have been the one to kill Mathews and his men, but then why didn't it kill Dad, our friends, or even me? It had a chance with me twice, and it never did. But, if it_ is _Joe, then shouldn't he remember me?_ Frank was starting to fall asleep, even though the bed was quite hard. He soon drifted off, still thinking of the possibility that Rex may be Joe, even though the creature may not know it.

* * *

 _ **Again, I hope you like this story. However, I hope it doesn't have elements of my old story,**_ **Ruby's Secret** _ **, in it, since I feel like it seems to. And no, I don't mean the rewritten version. Anyway, read and review, readers!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Monster of North Woods

By: Aubrie1234

* * *

Frank woke up to see Rex leaning over him, staring at him curiously. This startled the boy, where he scrambled to sit up. This was immediately stopped when his ankle began to throb.

"If this was a joke," Frank sighed, gently moving and putting his injured foot on the floor, "it wasn't funny." Rex, however, wasn't laughing. The creature was now staring at the boy's ankle, which was slightly swollen. And, now that it was light, Frank was able to get a good look at Rex to confirm his theory.

The muddied jeans certainly looked looked like the ones Joe had worn the day he had been kidnapped, and the creature had a similar body shape, though the muscles were bigger. But what was the greatest clue was its face. Besides the color of the eyes, the bat-like ears, and the fur, Rex's face was _exactly_ like Joe's; Frank would recognize his brother's face anywhere, though he hadn't been able to do so before because of his fear, the darkness, and Rex's extra features. The similarity was so startling Frank jumped, banging his head on the wall behind the bed.

Startled as well, the creature jumped back, going into a fighting stance. When Frank only rubbed his head, Rex relaxed, though it was confusing when he now looked at the creature with a strange mixture of fear, relief, love, and sadness.

"Joe?" Frank asked, voice barely above a whisper, eyes wide. The night before, he was so sure it couldn't have been his brother. And yet... Rex's sharp hearing picked up the almost inaudible words, where he tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Rr?" the creature hadn't any idea if it knew how to make words, which is why it resorted to using gestures so much. And yet that small sound made Frank's heart swell with hope. It was his brother's voice, sounding so close. But then remembering how Rex seemed to have no idea of who he was, Frank's face fell and he slumped. If Rex truly was Joe, which seemed more certain by the minute, then why didn't he remember his own brother, which he had known since he was born?

Then, another thought occurred to the Hardy. What if Joe was blocking his memories so he wouldn't remember something, giving him amnesia? Or, possibly, could the thing that changed him into this creature (quite likely the formula he found) be blocking his memory? Out of everything that had happened, they were the best leads he had. It also regained his hope and made him sit up straighter. Everything that Frank was doing amused Rex a bit. One second he was slumping in sadness, the next his was sitting happily, a small smile on his face.

 _People are so emotional sometimes._ Rex thought. It was at this point Frank decided to explain his theory.

"Rex, I know this may be confusing, but I think you're my brother, the one I told you about last night." This was surprising to the creature, "You just look and sound so much like him. And, I think you don't remember me because you're trying to block a memory you _really_ don't like or something else is causing memory loss, giving you amnesia." The skeptical look on Rex's face said all, and Frank sighed.

"I know you probably don't believe me, but I'm just so sure..." Rex's eyes softened and knelt down to Frank, looking him in the eyes as the creature put its hands on the boy's. The reassuring gesture did the trick, as the Hardy boy brightened.

"So, you believe me?" Rex nodded, "Then will you help me trying to get your memories back, if you really are Joe and do have amnesia?" Rex nodded again before hugging Frank. He accepted this gratefully. After a while, he pulled away.

"You know, I never took my strong, athletic brother as a hugger, but you're changing it." Frank joked, grinning. Rex made a playful bark and gave a gentle swipe at Frank's neck. Pulling its hand away, the creature found a chain hung on it and, hanging from the chain, was a brass oval, with the letter H engraved upon it. Frank's eyes widened before quickly taking it.

"This is a necklace I got for my 16th birthday, three years ago." Frank explained, holding it gently in his hands, "It has pictures of our family and friends. I've never changed the pictures, especially with what happened a year ago." Rex made a curious sound, wanting to know why. Frank's eyes clouded over with memories before shaking his head.

"No, I can't. I hate remembering it as much as you did. Or, at least, Joe did." Rex, still curious, grabbed at the necklace. Frank held it out of range, where Rex grinned. The creature lunged at it with unexpected speed for its size and grasped the necklace before jumping onto the rafters, away from Frank. Finding a knob on the side, ignoring Frank's protests, Rex pressed it. The oval opened, and inside were two pictures. On the left was a picture of Frank, the man from last night, two women, and the youngest was a blond boy with sapphire blue eyes. Frank was right about the uncanny likeness, the creature had to admit. Rex then turned his attention to the picture on the right. It was a picture of all of the kids that had come with Frank, the blond boy, and a small, black-haired girl. It was then something happened.

There was a sudden flash, like lightning, and suddenly, Rex saw a giant fireball, rising up from where used to be a car. The creature could see itself reaching toward the fire, more human-like than it remembered, but was being held back. All the while, Rex seemed to be screaming, but there was no sound. Rex then turned to see Frank holding him back, and the creature attacked him, trying to get loose. Rex did manage to and ran towards the flames, but then something was wrapped around his neck, there was a jerk, and then everything went black.

* * *

Frank, if he could, would have followed Rex into the rafters to get the necklace back. However, he protested until he noticed Rex seemed to paying him no mind. At first, the creature looked to one side of the charm, then the other. Rex seemed to jolt at the second picture before its eyes grew blank. It stayed crouched there for some time like that, and Frank grew worried. What was going on? Shortly, Rex's eyes rolled back and the creature fell to the ground, surprising Frank. It made no move to get up, either.

"Joe!" Despite his twisted ankle, Frank got to the floor and went to Rex's side. The creature still clutched the necklace, now in a vice-like grip, and its eyes were closed. Checking Rex's pulse, Frank found it normal. But why had the creature fainted? Maybe it had remembered something when it saw the pictures.

 _Very possible._ Frank thought, then jolted with another, more worrying one, _No one has any idea where I am!_ In all the things that had happened that morning, he forgot to ask Rex if the creature would take him to the road so someone could pick him up. But now...he stroked the creature's fur softly, sighing.

 _Might as well be there for him when he wakes. I just wonder why he fainted._ he thought, _And I can't just call him Joe like I did. What if he isn't my brother? I need to train myself to call him Rex until I'm sure._

* * *

Panic was what the Hardy house was engulfed in that morning. First Joe had been kidnapped, and now Frank had disappeared. And, somehow, it had spread like fire to the other kids, so now they were worried as well.

"Is there any chance he might have gone back to the forest?" Phones were on speaker in Mr. Hardy's office, and Tony was the one to ask.

"No, not unless..."

"'Unless' what, Mr. Hardy?" Biff asked, "Did you go out somewhere last night?"

"Collig, Riley, Radley and I went to investigate what Frank saw." Fenton explained, knowing they were smart enough to figure it out anyway if he didn't tell them, "It's possible he followed us, but we could have seen his car."

"Joe's been upgrading the van again." Callie explained, "It's more stealth-like than ever, so you most likely didn't or even wouldn't if you had looked."

"Then he really could be there!" Chet said.

"Hold it, Chet." Phil reined him in, "It's possible, but we should look at all angles."

"And if he isn't there?"

"He could have been captured like Joe." Tony said grimly, "Or he could have found a clue and is investigating it."

"Without telling us?" Biff questioned.

"I think he might be checking out that hunter." Callie said, "We should split up and check out all leads."

"You're right, Callie." Fenton nodded, "As you seem to know what Joe upgraded on the van, I want you to come with me to the woods to search for it and possibly Frank."

"Tony, think you can join me in researching Lloyd?" Phil asked, "And Chet, you and Biff should either start researching bats, something about super soldiers, or help us in checking out Lloyd and his hunter friends."

"Well, the Captain America comics have the Cap as a super soldier, so maybe it has some hints." Biff said, "And we can research the bats at the same time, see how they connect. You with me, Chet?"

"Do we get to have a few snacks in the process?" Everyone laughed.

"Sure, Chet."

"Then I guess we'd better get to our jobs. Be careful out there, all of you." Fenton warned. Everyone promised and cut out except Callie.

"Can you be sure we'll find Frank or even Joe?" she asked.

"Not certain, but I know that they aren't in danger." he assured her, "I just have the feeling they aren't."

"I know what you mean. It's just..." she sighed, a crackling sound coming over the phone, "I worry about Joe all over, but when he's in danger, it's Frank I worry about. He's close to his brother, and I know that's a good thing, but sometimes, like Joe's short fuse, it clouds his judgement. And with the whole incident a few years ago, I also worry about Joe's mentality. In a way, they're both on the verge of cracking. If they lost each other..." Mr. Hardy knew what Callie was getting at, but it was worrying to how close they were becoming to losing themselves for each other.

"Separating would only make it worse, as this case proves. And we can't really make them less dependent on each other without them finding out." he tiredly rubbed his eyes, "They have to make the choice of staying dependent on each other or drifting apart. I'm not sure which I dislike more, but with how close they've become, it's jeopardizing their detective skills."

"Let's just try finding them first, okay? I'm sorry I brought that up."

"It's okay, it needed to be discussed because something needs to be done. I've been putting this off much too long."

"Well, leave it alone for now, until this case is solved." Fenton nodded, though Callie couldn't see him.

"Right. I'll be there soon to pick you up. Goodbye."

"Bye." Mr. Hardy put the phone down and got up, about to leave the room when the phone began to ring again.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Hardy." he recognized the electronic-sounding voice as having been put through a scrambler. Quick, he turned on the tape recorder connected to the phoneline.

"Who are you?" The voice seemed to chuckle at his growl.

"That is none of your concern." it said, "I do, however, know something that you and your eldest son would like to hear." Fenton's grip tightened.

"Where is he?!"

"Now where would the fun in that be?" it chuckled again, "I can't tell _where_ he is, but I am willing to tell you _how_ he is. For now, he's safe." Mr. Hardy gave an internal sigh of relief, " _However_ , he won't be safe for long."

"How long do I have to find my son?"

"Not long." Before he could ask any more, the call was cut. As he turned off the recorder, he knew that meant one of three things. One, Joe was dead and they were lying; two, they were purposefully leaving him in suspense so they could catch him off-guard; three, Joe had escaped and they were trying to find him. He desperately hoped it was the third choice. At least he had something to think about when he and Callie searched for the van.

But they hadn't mentioned Frank, so did they not know he was missing? If they didn't, that gave Fenton an advantage. He would also have to review the tape when he returned, seeing if there was something he could identify.

 _I only hope both of them are safe._ he thought.

* * *

 _Iola._ His eyes flashed open as that word entered his mind. The memory was still very clear, but he didn't know what the word meant. Jumping to his feet, Rex's eyes flicked around. No one was there except Frank and the necklace was still in his hand. He dropped it like it was hot and glared at Frank. He knew what had caused the memory to come up and he knew who had made him black out.

* * *

Frank's hand shot out to grasp the necklace, holding it gingerly in his hand. Looking to Rex, though, made him back away a little (as best he could with only his hands and one foot to use). The creature was glaring at him, giving a low growl, and looked to be very angry. Frank could make a good guess why.

"Do you think I meant for that to happen?" he said, not meaning to snap. He flinched as Rex's growls got louder and more threatening.

* * *

 _Who is he to think he's all high and mighty? I helped him, and look what happens!_ Rex mentally berated himself for falling into such a trap. He hadn't liked humans and when he had let his guard down, he was put out of commission with a horrible memory! But...could that memory actually have been something to him, once upon a time? Why would he have even remembered it if it hadn't been his, or he hadn't seen the picture?

 _Could that little girl...could she have that name? Could she be Iola?_

* * *

Frank saw Rex become conflicted with something, as he began to make softer growls and closed his eyes, looking like he was arguing with himself. Finally, he opened them again to surprisingly go over to the dark-haired boy. Hesitantly, Rex took the necklace and opened it, turning his head away.

 _Probably so he won't relive the memory again, if that's what he had._ Frank thought as Rex pointed to one of the pictures. The one with him, the others, and Iola.

"The black-haired girl?" Rex nodded, "She's Iola. You...Joe used to love her very much, but she died in a car explosion, meant for the two of us." He couldn't help but feel his heart ache when he recounted the death of his friend, but it hurt so much more for Joe, "My brother loved her very much, as I've said, and it nearly broke him when she died."

* * *

Rex looked at the picture again. The memory replayed itself, but not as strong, and it gave him a question: was he really an amnesiac Joe and Frank was his brother, who had saved him from diving into the fire after the girl he loved, who had probably been dead in seconds?

When he looked up at Frank again, seeing the hurting brown eyes, he knew what he had to do.

 _Even if I'm not his brother, even with all the coincidences, I'm going to protect him, so not even those hunters will touch him._ he turned his head to look out the window, _They've been quiet lately, even if they sent Frank and his friends after me, so why don't they make a move? I know they're still after me, they still want to make me into a killing machine, so where are they?_

* * *

 ** _Ta-da! This story isn't dead! None of the others are, actually, but it's been a while since I've worked on this thing, hasn't it? Anyway, I hope you like the chapter. I had part of it written before, then I got other story ideas and found out about Hetalia...It's a downward spiral from there. And another thing, Rex isn't a Jersey Devil, as one of my readers suggested. Just a giant bat-human hybrid. With a taste for blood. And a short fuse temper...Yeah. Just read and review please!_**


	5. AN

**ATTENTION, REVIEWERS, GUESTS, READERS, FAVORITERS, AND FOLLOWERS! THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!**

 **Well, not really, but I needed to get your attention somehow, right? Anyway, I have a challenge for all of you! A while back, I found a picture on DeviantArt by 1sthi1357 made of Dino TK, from my story, _Of Dinos and Digimon_. Last night, when I was looking at it again, it gave me an idea!**

 **I am not a drawing person. I trace, but don't draw. Which is why I want to ask you guys if you could draw for me! Well, not for me, but from my stories.**

 **This is what I mean: you draw things from my stories and post them on DeviantArt, I'll mention them in the story they're from. There is no cost or prize, except maybe a Llama and my eternal happiness!**

 **Here are the rules:**

 **1\. You _MUST_ include my name in the description so I can find it and the name of the story it's from.**

 **2\. It doesn't have to be a good picture, it can be whatever. I want to see what you all can come up with!**

 **3\. You can make multiple works of art, not just one piece.**

 **4\. They can either be character designs, scenes (or comics) from the story, or title pictures.**

 **Now that that's done with, I hope you guys take on the challenge! See you!**


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